Press Release

Islands Society Honors Inaugural Sea Islands Community Leader

The Director of the Beaufort County Alliance for Human Services is honored for his strong community commitment.

Beaufort, SC, April 01, 2016 --(PR.com)-- The Islands Society is pleased to announce that Fred Leyda has been selected as the inaugural “Sea Islands Community Leader” by its constituent society for the Lowcountry - the Sea Islands Society.

As the Director of the Beaufort County Alliance for Human Services and Facilitator for the Collaborative Organization of Services for Youth (COSY), Leyda oversees various organizations and groups working together to promote and sustain activities that improve the quality of life for Beaufort County residents. Additionally, he is the co-chair of the Beaufort County Community Relations Council.

According to Michael Edward Walsh, founder of the Islands Society, “Fred Leyda was chosen for this award because of his strong community commitment which includes his work with the various quality of life service agencies in addressing difficult social challenges.”

Accepting the award from James Carroll, managing director of the Sea Islands Society, Leyda said, “I consider it an honor to serve my community and believe strongly in Servant Leadership.” He continued, “There can never be enough done to support Lowcountry residents who are marginalized or in need.”

About Fred LeydaLeyda has worked in the human service arena with delinquent youth as well as mentally, behaviorally and emotionally handicapped children for 25 years. Following graduation from the University of Tampa he became a Marine Science Instructor/Counselor and then Administrative Director for several of the Associated Marine Institutes.

He began working as facilitator of the COSY Process in 1996, coordinating interagency treatment plans and removing barriers to service. In 2009, his job description was amended to include the Alliance directorship.

Separately, Leyda serves on the Multi-Disciplinary Team for Hope Haven of the Lowcountry; he facilitates the Beaufort County Early Childhood Coalition and acts as Project Director for the Sheldon Township Community Support Partnership. He also serves on various other advisory boards and councils in Beaufort County and within South Carolina including the Growing Together State Advisory Council and the Disabilities and Special Needs Community Review Team.

About the Sea Islands Community Leaders ProgramThe Islands Society believes that local community leaders on the barrier islands of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina should be given a global platform to share their insights on how the health and well-being of their local island communities can be improved.

Through the Sea Islands Community Leaders Program, the Islands Society recognizes a local community leader each month. That individual is given the opportunity to share their insights on how the health and well-being of their community can be improved based on their own life experiences.

About the Islands SocietyThe Islands Society is a “Top-Rated” 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to inspire and empower islanders to participate in foreign affairs and overseas engagements in order to affect positive change in their local communities. The nonprofit develops and implements projects that are designed to help islanders realize their full potential on the world stage. These projects are currently organized around two main themes: community projects and next generation leaders. The community projects center on ten issue areas, including charity, conservation, democracy, disaster relief, education, equality, health, innovation, security, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the next generation leader projects support artists, athletes, chefs, incubators, musicians, policy makers, storytellers, and technologists. To implement these programs, the nonprofit has launched local constituent societies around the world. These include the Pacific Islands Society, Baltic Islands Society (Honolulu, Hawaii), Sea Islands Society (Charleston, South Carolina), Caribbean Islands Society (Miami, Florida), Remote Islands Society (Tokyo, Japan), and Southeast Asian Islands Society (Washington, DC).

About the Sea Islands SocietyThe Sea Islands Society is a constituent society of the Islands Society. Its primary mission is to develop and implement programs that enable individuals and sub-national organizations from barrier island communities along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina to more fully participate in international relations. Specifically, the society develops and implements programs that provide women, ethnic minorities, and the next generation of leaders from these island communities with the knowledge, networks, platforms, and exposure required to realize their full potential as artists, athletes, chefs, designers, educators, musicians, nurses, scholars, policymakers, scientists, and technologists on the world stage.